Exercising-machine



2 .Sheets Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

R. REACH.

BXERGISING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 9, 1887..

llllllllllllllll NA PETERS, Phmo-lilnoghphnr, washington. D. c.

(No Model.) l '2 sheets-sheetlz. R. REACH.'

EXERGISING MACHINE.

No. 368,111. i Patented Aug. 9,1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT rriei.

`ROBERT REACH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXERCISING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Leiters Patent No. 368,111, ma August 9,1887.

Application tiled February 5:5, 1887. Serial No. 228,854. (No model.)

To a/Z wiz/0111. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT REACH, of Philadelphia, in the county of PhiladelphiaJ and State of Pennsylvania, lhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Exercising-Ma chines; and I do hereby'l declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to exercising apparatus, particularly to that class known as rowing-maehines. Its object is to provide-a convenient form of apparatus which will enable the operator to exercise every set of muscles which are exercised in rowing.

The invention consists in the devices and combination of devices, hereinafter particularly described. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of the apparatus, one of the cylinders being in section. Fig. 2 represents a rear View of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the' machine. Fig. 4 is a transverse section.through one of the outriggers and the oar connected thereto, showing the manner of forming the connection. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, partly in side elevation, of said connection. Fig 6 is adetail view of the connection between the oar and its connection`-rod.

In the drawings the apparatus is shown as supported upon a rocking frame, A, which rocks from side to side under the irregular pulling of the operator upon the oars, as in the ordinary exercise of rowing upon the water. At one vend of the frame, upon either side thereof, I arrange closed compartmentsv B B, made watertight, and within these compartments I place cylinders C C. These cylinders arc open at their front ends and arein connection with the compartments in which they are placed. The opposite ends of these cylinders are closed, with the exception of a small opening in the center, the size of which may be increased or diminished by means of a suitable valve, D. Pistons are located within these cylinders, connected to operating piston-rods, as shown. These pistons are of ordinary construction and have openings through them Acovered by suitable disk.

The compartments and the cylinders are a clapper or any lled with water, and the action of the valves will force the water from the front to the rear through the openings in the cylinders, and it will dow above the cylinders back to and through the open ends. This gives the necessary resistance to the stroke of the pistou,and this resistance may beincreased or diminished by increasing or. diminishing the size of the opening at the rear of the cylinders. In the return-stroke of the valve the buckets will open and the water will pass through, very little resistance thus being offered to its return. It will thus be seen that as these compartments are filled with water the cylinders are submerged and the water will always bel upon both sides of the valve and all danger 'of a vacuum avoided. Above these compartments and resting upon them I provide a seat, which may be stationary or an ordinary sliding seat, and in suitable relation to said seat I fix the foot-rests, attaching them to support` ing-rods a a. b. They consist of a bracket suitably supported from either side of the frame and braced in any desirable. manner. A bolt, e, passes through the end of this bracket, and the head of said bolt is fastened loosely by means ofa pin to the depending flanges of a ring or collar, c, which supports the oar. Upon either side of this collar, encircling the oar, is aring,d. The bracket above referred to ris preferably secured to the side of the frame by means of projeeting lugs, and in transportation the braces may be removed andthe connecting-pin taken out which holds the bracket in place, and thus permit it to be folded against the side of the frame; or this pin may remain in place to act as a pivot when the bracket is swung to the side of the frame.

The oar is loosely held within the collar c, and as the rings d are upon rither side of this collar and fixed to the oar,they serve as guides, and the oar can be freely turned, as in the act offeathering, within the collar c. Sufficient vertical movement is permitted the oar by means of the loose connection of the bolt e with the depending danges of the collar, and horizontal movement is permitted the oar by reason of the said bolt e being permitted to turn within. its bearings in the supportingbrackets.

The outriggers I have shown at IOO I will now describe the connection between the oar and the piston which. operates the valve within the cylinder.

At a convenient point between the handle 0f the oar and the end which is pivoted upon the bracket I fix a collar, f. This collar has a projection upon its front side, and in this projcction is formed a socket adapted to receive the ball g upon the end of a rod, h, making a ballnnd`socket joint at this point. The rod h has a ball formed upon its opposite end, and this is adapted to a socket corresponding thereto and formed in the end of a pivoted link, 17. The opposite end of the link is bifurcatcd, and has a pivoted connection with a sliding block which is connected to the end of the operating pistonrod.

The sliding rod is guided upon asquared rod, 7c, arranged directly below the piston-rod. Instead of being squared, however, it may be splincd and a feather arranged upon the sliding block. By means of the numerous uni` versal joints and pivoted connections the op-A erator has complete control over the oars, and they may be made to describe any variety of movements without danger of bending the piston-rod or getting the other parts out of order. The supporting-rod for the foot-rests and the guiding-rod for the sliding block are extended to the front of the machine and suitably secured.

I am aware that prior to my invention a pivoted waterchamber has been provided containing suitable valves and a piston therefor, with a connectingpipe between the front and rear of said cylinder for the passage of the water in the back-and-forth movement of the piston, and I donot broadly claim this.

I claim as my inventionl. A rowing-machine consisting of cylin- 4o ders, Water compartments surrounding the same, pistons and piston-rods arranged within the cylinders, and suitable connections with the oars, substantially as described.

2. Ina rowing-machine,and in combination, 4.5 the cylinders, the compartments B, inclosing the same and forming water-compartments, pistons and piston-rods and suitable connections between said rods and the oars, and a seat supported from the said water-compart- 5o ment, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the cylinders, the compartments B, inclosing the same and forming watepcompartmcnts, the pistons and pistonrods and suitable connections between said rods and the oars, a seat supported by tliesaid water-compartments, and the outriggers, also supported thereby, substantially as described.

4. The combination, inarowinganachinepf the Water-compartments, the cylinders con- 6o tained within the same, the valves within the cylinders, the piston-rods for operating the valves, the oars having a universal connection with their supportingbrackets, a pivoted link connected to the end of the pistonrod, and a 65 rod havinga universal connection with said pivoted link and also with the oar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have si gncd my name to this specification in the presence of two sub 7o scribiug witnesses.

ROBERT REACH.

Vitnesses: l

EMANUEL Horn, J. II. BnnoRoFT. 

